Rebecca shook her head, double-checking the map to make sure she was not too far off. "Naw, Ah'm jist two stops off, and my boss is cool." Well, cool was a very situation term; Akshay was a nerdy goofball, but he was a great guy, so that was cool.

Lizzy's stop came and Rebecca followed her out, making a note of the spot she apparently frequented. It would be a friendly surprise to drop by with tea or a snack. The sun stunned her for a moment as she blocked her eyes with her arm, pulling out her phone with her free hand.

It took a moment to find Akshay's number through the glare. She tried to make the call quick. "Hey Akshay, it's Becca... yeah, Ah am on today... yeah, listen, Ah'm gorna be a little late... huh? Yeah, super secret mutant stuff, you doof.

"What?" Rebecca's cheeks flushed, and her voice was noticeably flustered. "No way yoo're getting me in that!" There was a pause and Rebecca pouted. "Fine! Bit if Ah have tae wear that, Ah'm takin' off th' first half hour! Gah, bye!"

Rebecca ended the call and shoved the phone in her purse. "Well, Ah have a half hour to kill now," she said, trying to will the blood out of her blushing cheeks.

Lizzy waited as Rebecca called her boss. She felt a little awkward just standing there, but she supposed it was normal to feel odd when someone else was making a phone call. Luckily, it didn’t take too long so this odd feeling of “what should I do?” didn’t last long. From what Lizzy could hear from Rebecca’s side of the conversation, Rebecca was taking the next half hour off whether her boss liked it or not.

Something stuck out to Lizzy as Rebecca talked, and she wasn’t sure if she was joking or not. Raising her eyebrows slightly, Lizzy asked, “Super secret mutant stuff?" Was Rebecca like Lizzy? She hadn’t met another mutant; rather, she hadn’t met another mutant that she knew about. Lizzy supposed that it could had just been a joke between her and her boss.

“I’m not going to ask about what he was going to make you wear, but we can certainly find something to do for a half hour.” Lizzy paused for a second to think about what the two of them could do for the next half hour. “Hmm… Well we could either go to my apartment that’s a few blocks away or I know this really good coffee shop on the next block. I’m up for anything really.” Lizzy knew her mother wouldn’t mind what time she came home, so if she stayed out for just a little bit more, she wouldn’t be too upset.

Rebecca tucked her hair behind her ear before noticing Lizzy's question. Apparently, Rebecca had mentioned something about being a mutant on the phone obliviously. Lizzy gave no negative sign to the comment, so Rebecca decided to take the risk. "Um, yeah, Ah'm a mutant, an' sae's my boss, sae we sorta joke about it." She did her best to play the news off as something nonchalant.

They did have another free half an hour now, so Rebecca was up for anything. "Up to you. Ah wouldnae mind a coffee," she admitted. Rebecca was up late the night before scribbling and crossing out lines and stanzas, so a refreshing iced coffee would get her through a work day dealing with Akshay, who just got her to...

Did she really agree to wear that costume? "An' dornt worry about the other thing. Ah work at a comic shop, sae Ah jist got roped into a costume Ah wouldnae exactly 'choose' on mah own." She would kill Akshay. The register was made of metal, and probably heavy enough to do the trick. Either way, murdering her boss would have to wait thirty minutes while she enjoyed girl time.

Lizzy’s eyes widened a bit and she casually put her hand over her mouth to hide her smile. She wasn’t alone. There was another mutant out there! Well of course there were mutants out there. She had seen the news before, but now she knew someone else! The joy in Lizzy’s voice was apparent when she said, ”Me too!” She threw her hand over her mouth again at how loud she said it. There were a couple people on the street who looked over at Lizzy when she said that. ”Sorry. I didn’t mean to say that so loud. But I’m one too! I’ve just never met anyone else like me… or at least one that I knew about.”

The two girls began walking toward the coffee shop. It wasn’t too far of a walk at least. ”Java the Hut should be right around… here!” Lizzy pointed to the little coffee shop. There was simply a sign on the door that read “Java the Hut”. Most people wouldn’t notice the small shop unless they were really looking at all the stores along the street.

Lizzy turned to Rebecca and said, “It might be a funny name, but they make the best cup of coffee I’ve had.” The only reason Lizzy knew about the shop was from her dad. He heard about this place from his coworkers, and goes there practically every single day now. Besides, when a cop – even a security guard – says a coffee shop is good, then it’s good. They know what they’re talking about.

Rebecca liked Lizzy's reaction to the news of her mutantdom, not just because Lizzy was a fellow mutant, but because she seemed genuinely thrilled to meet someone she could relate to for the first time. Rebecca could remember the joy of not feeling alone from her first day, with Kealey and Gina and Agnes. She placed a hand on Lizzy's shoulder and smiled. "Well, now you've met me."

The gesture was innocent enough, but still gaining her bearings on what was appropriate with female friends that did not work at the comic shop, and Lizzy was pretty enough to make her feel slightly embarrassed for no reason. "If ye ever meet my girlfriend, she's also like us."

Rebecca was going to add the obvious mention of the Mansion, but she was cut off by their arrival at the coffee shop with a fantastically nerdy name. (Her first thought was whether Akshay already knew about the place or not.) Intrigued by Lizzy talking up the coffee, Rebecca followed her new friend inside.

In the small coffee shop, the barista stood at the cash register looking a little bored. She looked to be in her mid-twenties and had long brown hair that draped across her face. There were a couple of people scattered around the tables in the shop either typing away sipping coffee or talking to their company, but luckily no one was in line at the moment.

Lizzy waltzed over to the register and quickly glanced at the menu. It was a bit pointless since she very rarely did she deviate from her usual. “One vanilla latte please.” Lizzy leaned her guitar case against the counter to dig a enough out of her pockets. “Sorry about all the change,” she sheepishly said to the barista. Lizzy gained a lot of change during her subway years.

After placing her order, she stepped aside so Rebecca could order. Lizzy grabbed her latte from the worker and found a table for two. It was against the wall, which allowed Lizzy to lean her guitar case up against the wall. She waited for Rebecca to join her and take a sip of her drink before asking, “So what do you think of Java the Hut?” Lizzy enjoyed her own latte with that distinct sweet vanilla flavor mixed with the bitterness of the coffee. It was a refreshing drink, and even though it was summer, Lizzy preferred a hot drink to an iced drink.

Rebecca watched as Lizzy ordered her latte, scanning the drink options listed on the wall. A latte sounded nice, but it was far too hot for her to consider a hot beverage. When her turn came, Rebecca spoke with uncertainty, hoping her selection would be good. "Um, one iced mocha latte? Thank you."

Rebecca received her drink and joined Lizzy at her table. She took the first taste of her drink, pleased with the sweet, smooth blend of chocolate and coffee flavors. "Mmm, delicious!" She would have to remember the place the next time she needed a drink in the area.

"So what is your mutation?" She asked in a normal volume voice before remembering that mutations were a private matter. Quickly, in a hush, she added, "Ah'm sorry. Ah mean, if ye dornt mind me asking."

Lizzy took a sip of her latte before answering her new friend. If Lizzy was going to be honest, that’s what she would have asked Rebecca anyway. She looked around the little shop to see if anyway would overhear her response. People were far enough away that Lizzy felt comfortable on demonstrating her ability. She focused on Rebecca’s voice and in Rebecca’s voice Lizzy said, ”Ah dornt mind ye asking. Ah can just mimic sounds and voices.”

Returning to her normal voice she asked Rebecca, ”So what about you? What’s your special gift? If you don’t mind me asking as well.” She was very curious in Rebecca’s ability. Come to think of it, Lizzy was curious in any mutant’s abilities.

She found it fascinating about what mutations people were blessed with because everyone she read about in the newspaper or watched on the news was so different! Bending metal, causing floods, reading people’s minds – it was all so interesting in Lizzy’s mind to see what other mutants are out there. It gave her comfort that there were others out there like her. Lizzy took another sip of her latte and eagerly awaited Rebecca’s response.

Rebecca was surprised to say the least when the familiar sound of her distinct Scottish voice came from the lips of Lizzy and not her own. Of all the bizarre mutations Rebecca had come across, the ability to copy another person's voice entirely ranked high amongst the more unsettling, and the more entertaining. "Wicked..."

Rebecca was asked to share her talent as a fair trade, which she had no problems doing; Lizzy was proving to be trustworthy, and Rebecca was not too shy with her powers in recent months. She pulled out a small metal marble from her pocket and levitated it inches above her open palm. "Ah can manipulate magnetic fields an' even sense metal nearby."

She let the marble make a slow, spiraling descent back into her pocket. "You should really come visit the Mansion eventually. It's filled with other people like us with their own crazy talents!" Even if Lizzy had no interest in living at the Mansion, there were plenty of people like Ami who simply chose to visit and enjoy the company of fellow mutants. "Ah'm sure your singing could charm a mutant boy or two," she teased.

"Um, Ah mean, unless ye like girls," Rebecca awkwardly added as an afterthought. For someone who dated a girl, she was still good at being oblivious to the possibility that other girls did as well.

Her new friend pulled out a metal marble at levitated it above her palm. Lizzy’s mouth opened slightly in awe of Rebecca’s talent. ”That is so cool,” Lizzy muttered. There was so much metal everywhere, so Lizzy could see where that could come and handy. Imagine the possibilities! If someone held you at gunpoint, they wouldn’t be able to shoot you because you could aim it elsewhere.

”So is the Mansion like a mutant house?” Lizzy asked curiously. A place just for mutants sounded intriguing to Lizzy. There would be so many different abilities that everyone had, and there would be no need to hide her own gift. She could mimic people for the fun of it. It was fun imitate in front of her own family, but they had seen almost everything already, and although they would never admit it, Lizzy was pretty sure they grew tired of hearing celebrities in their living room.

Lizzy laughed at the thought of charming some mutant boys. Rebecca added the “unless you like girls” as an afterthought. It was a slight awkward moment because Lizzy wasn’t totally sure how to respond. ”I’m sorry, I like boys – actually strike that. I like men instead. Boys are too immature for me.” Lizzy hoped that her attempt at humor worked, but continued to address Rebecca’s other statement. ”And if my own singing doesn’t do charm them, I could sing like their favorite singer instead.” Lizzy thought about what kind of boys would live at a mutant house. There’s bound to be some cute mutant boys – or at least some decent guys.

Out of curiosity, Lizzy asked, ”So may I ask how long you’ve known about your gift?” She was curious to know how others were when they found how they’re different than everyone else, and she hoped that it wasn’t too personal to ask Rebecca that. The two had only met that day, but Lizzy’s curiosity got the best of her.

Rebecca twirled her straw around the drink as Lizzy complimented her mutation and asked about the Mansion. As a young mutant, learning of the Mansion for the first time was almost awe-inspiring. "Aye, it's a big building wi' dorms an' it's a school as well!"

Rebecca thought about her upcoming year and her transition into her first year of college. "Well, it ends at high school, but it's still a fantastic place tae live!" Rebecca did her best to push the knowledge that Agnes was moving on to her new campus at Juliard, pretending she would never leave the Mansion.

Lizzy was straight, and it felt oddly comforting to not feel so awkwardly unsure anymore. "Ah'm sure Ah coulds think of a couple o' handsome young men ye could call wi' yer siren song." Well, there were a lot of immature boys at the school, but there were some older guys worth a second look. (And a few surprisingly young teachers...)

The continued questioning about Rebecca's talents were expected enough, so she took another sip, her drink now half gone, before continuing. "Only since last December, an' Ah was on a plane jist before Christmas." From what Rebecca knew, she was a fairly late bloomer for a mutant, but she was getting the hang of things quickly enough. "Hoo aboot you?"

As Lizzy listened to Rebecca talk about the Mansion, she smiled at the sound of it. It just sounded like an awesome place to be. “This place sounds almost too good to be true,” Lizzy said as she chuckled a little. “I will definitely have to come visit you sometime! I’d love to see this place with my own eyes. And maybe ogle at some dashing mutant men while I’m there.” She couldn’t help but smile at the last part. It would be great to get to see Rebecca again. It’s odd how little time it can take to become friends with someone.

“So you’re still a little new to this. I found out about three years ago.” Lizzy remembered the school incident like it was yesterday. It still bummed her out to think about it. “It was the whole reason my family and I moved to New York.” That was the simplest wording Lizzy could put it into.

Time had passed and Lizzy loved New York, but thinking about Giddings was still a little fresh. Thinking about the incident that caused everything to happen sent Lizzy staring at her latte mindlessly. She didn’t even realize what she was doing because her mind was focused on Giddings and her old high school again.

The mansion definitely felt too good to be true at times. Lizzy had a family to live with, but it never hurt to have a safe place to go to, or possibly even a second home. "Well, if you come by, Ah'll give you the whole tour." Well, maybe not the "whole" tour, she decided as she thought about the danger room.

Rebecca could hear something in Lizzy's tone when she mentioned her move to New York three years ago. Feeling a sense of camaraderie, she replied"Ah know the feeling. Ah accidentally discovered mah power at a sleepover. Mah parents found me th' school after that." There was a moment of weakness as she looked down at her drink. "Ah still miss them sometimes." Thankfully, her trip to Scotland was just around the corner.

Rebecca noticed a clock on the wall, reminding her that her time was running short. She sighed, taking one more big sip of the drink. "Ah guess Ah shoulds get going tae th' comic shop, huh?"

Lizzy snapped out of her daze when Rebecca responded to her. It comforted her to know that Rebecca was open to sharing about her own discovery. Apparently she wasn’t the only person who found out in front of others. And even though Lizzy had her parents with her in New York, she could relate to Rebecca about missing people from back home. “I still miss some of my friends from Giddings. It’s a little different than your situation though,” Lizzy shared.

She felt comfortable enough that she didn’t mind sharing a little of what happened a few years ago. As she spoke, Lizzy didn’t stare at Rebecca, but at her drink instead. “They didn’t want anything to do with me after the entire school found out about my… well what I am.” Lizzy didn’t want to go into it any deeper than that. Rebecca was nice enough to listen as Lizzy shared about her old life.

Alas, the time had caught up to them, and Rebecca needed to get going to work. “Time sure does fly fast. I probably should get going home anyway, but before we part our separate ways, I want to give you my number.” Lizzy dug around in her jacket’s pockets and found a pen. She took one of her coffee napkins and wrote her number on it, and handed it to Rebecca. “This way we can hang out later, and I can see this mysterious mansion eventually.” Lizzy smiled. Maybe this would be the year things would get better. Maybe this was the year Lizzy was going to have friends. It certainly seemed that way so far.

Rebecca would not press the matter, but it was clear to her that if having her secret to her friends was difficult, letting it be discovered by an entire school community... would be worse.

Rebecca and Lizzy would definitely hang out again, as soon as Rebecca could manage. The girl was a sweetheart, and whatever she might have gone through, life would be easier with another friend.

Rebecca borrowed Lizzy's pen and followed her lead, writing her own number on a napkin. "And here's my number."

Time was sadly working against her again, so Rebecca got close and gave Lizzy a one-armed hug, hoping she would be comfortable enough with it. "It was great meeting you, Lizzy! Ah'll call soon," she assured with a smile.

Her affairs in order, she waved goodbye to her new friend and left for work, pleased with how her commute turned out.